Toy cannon.



PATENTBD JAN. 9, 1906 J. E. WEAVER. TQY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOY CANNON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application iled November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,479.

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Be it known that I, JAMES E. WEAVER, of Allegheny, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Toy Cannon, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cannon on the crank side. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional top plan view, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, of the hammer I prefer to employ.

My invention relates to the class of toy cann nons or pistol devices which are designed-for Fourth of July or similar occasions, and is designed to provide a simple device of this character which may be cheaply made and which will give a succession of explosions and reports upon the turning of a crank.

In the drawings I show-the magazine portion, the breach or exploding portion, and the barrel portion of the cannon as cast in two longitudinally and centrally divided halves 2 2. The magazine portion 8 may be of any suitable form, but is shaped to receive a coil or reel of the ammunition 4. This am .munition consists of small plugs or buttons of an explosive secured to the face of a long strip of flexible material. This exible material is preferably of paper which has been suitably treated to make it non-combustible, though it may be made of any desirable flexible material, such as asbestos, mineral wool, Sac.- The strip should be non-combustible, since otherwise the burned portions clog up the hammer and the anvil against which it strikes.

I have shown one of the castings as having a central pin 5 in its magazine portion, around which the reel ofammunition is slipped so that it may revolve easily thereon as it is drawn forward by the feed-rolls. The ammunition will preferably be put up with a paper or pasteboard disk on each side of it and a central tube of pasteboard, so that the reel may be easily slipped into place when the one side of the magazine is opened.

The magazine-cavity of the cannon ccnnects with the exploding-cavity through a narrow channel 6, between the upper and lower ribs 7 and 8. In front of this channel 6 I place a pair of feed-rolls 9 and 10, which are preferably provided with central peripheral grooves, leaving anges 11 on each side thereof which are preferably scored or serrated, so as to firmly grip the paper or. other flexible web on either side of the explosive which feedsbetween these two fianges. Each of these feed-wheels is preferably provided with projecting stub shafts or trunnions 12, which slip -into corresponding holes in the two halves of the casing. The lower one, 10, of the two feed-wheels has at the end of one stub-shaft a squared or angular portion 13, on which is slipped the external hand-crank 14. This lower feed-wheel is also provided with two cams 15 on opposite sides, each projecting outwardly between the flanges. These cams are arranged to engage the projecting lug or trigger 16 of the spring-presse hammer 17. This hammer is provided with a depending stem 18, extending down between guides 19, and provided with a surrounding spiral spring 20, which is arranged to hold it normally in an intermediate osition, which will allow the feeding forwar of the fiexible strip between it and the stationary anvil 21. An upper guide 22 extends from the top of the lower feed-roll to prevent pushing down of the ribbon at this point. The hammer is cut away at the sides, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow the gases to flow down on each side of it. In order to prevent back flashing from the exploding-chamber into the magazinechamber, I preferably provide the pivoted closure 23, which is hinged to the rib 7 and lies loosely on the lianges of the lower feedwheel. The two cams 15 are so arranged that as one explosion takes place after the cam has released the hammer the other cam will register with the swinging closure, and

' thus close the channel leading back into the magazine-chamber. v

To give ready access to the magazine, I preferably hinge one side wall, as shown at 24 in Fig. 3. The two parts of the casting may be secured together by bolts or other suitable devices, and the two parts of the magazine may be held together by a springclip 25, as shown. The exploding-chamber is open at its front end to allow the paper or flexible material to feed out under the barrel in the form shown.

In the operation of the device a reel of the ammunition is placed in the magazine-chamber around the pin. The end of it is slipped between the feed-rolls, the chamber is closed, and the crank is then turned. As the lower feed-roll is turned one of its cams will bear down upon the lug 16 of the hammer and de- IOO IIO

press this hammer for a certain distance, when it will be released and shot upward under the power of the spring. The momentum thus acquired carries it beyond the limit of the spring-pressure, so that it flies up and drives one of the explosive buttons against the anvil. The button explodes and the hammer at once drops down to its normal intermediate position, where it is engaged by the other cam of the feed-wheel in its continued rotation. The spacing of the buttons is preferably such that at each blow of the hammer a button will be in position to be struck and at each explosion the swinging closure, cooperating with one of the cams, will prevent back flashing into the ammunitionchamber. A series of rapid reports is thus obtained with a simple device which may be cheaply` made and operated.

The advantages of my invention result from the simplicity and cheapness of the device, the small amount of machinery-work required, and the continuous series of rapid reports obtained by continuous rotation of the feed-rolls.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the feeding device, the exploding device, the shape of the cannon or pistol, and the other parts without departing from my invention.

I claimh' 1. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a pair of feed-rolls arranged to feed forward a strip provided with separated portions of an explosive, means for continuously rotating said rolls, a reciprocating hammer, and mechanism for reciprocating said hammer as the separated portions of explosive are brought into registry therewith substantially as described.

2. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a pair of feed-rolls having gripping portions and cut-away portions to allow the passage of separated portions of an explosive on a flexible strip, means for continuously rotating said rolls, a reciprocating hammer, and a rotary crank device having connections arranged to move the hammer in at least one direction of its reciprocation; substantially as described.

3. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession,-a pair of feed-rolls, means for continuously rotating said rolls, a springactuated reciprocating hammer, an opposite anvil, and means for retracting the hammer to deliver a blow upon the successive portions of explosive substantially as described.

4. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a magazine-chamber arranged to contain a reel of flexible material carrying separated portions of an explosive,

plosive is fed, a pair of feed-rolls in the exploding-chamber, means for continuously rotating the feed-rolls, a reciprocating hammer, and connections arranged to reciprocate said hammer; substantially as described.

6. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a magazine-chamber arranged to receive a coil of fiexible material carrying separated portions of an explosive, an exploding-chamber connected to the magazine-chamber by a channel through which the strip is fed, a pair of feed-rolls in the exploding-chamber having grooves or cut-away portions to allow passage of the explosive, one of said feed-rolls having cam portions, a reciprocating spring-pressed hammer arranged to be actuated by the cam, and a crank or similar device for turning the feedrolls, substantially as described.

7. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a magazine-chamber arranged to receive a coil of flexible material carrying separated buttons of an explosive, an exploding-chamber connected therewith by a narrow channel through which the strip is fed, feed-rolls, means for continuously rotating said rolls, a reciprocating hammer within the exploding-chamber, and means for closing the channel into the magazinechamber when the explosion takes place; substantially as described.

8. In a device for obtaining explosions in rapid succession, a pair of feed-rolls, means for turning the same continuously, a reciprocatinghammer, connections between the feedrolls and hammer arranged to retract said hammer, and means for returning it to strike the explosive; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

. JAMES E. WEAVER. Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER, H. M. CoRwIN.

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